1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image forming devices and to toner container structures therefor having a rotating toner transfer mechanism for transferring toner from a first region to a second region of the container structure, and more particularly to a rotating toner transfer member within the mechanism that includes a Geneva drive having a locking mechanism for preventing actuation of the toner transfer mechanism when the toner transfer member is being cleared of toner by movement of a rotatable member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming devices including copiers, laser printers, facsimile machines, and the like, include a photoconductive drum having a rigid cylindrical surface that is coated along a defined length of its outer surface. The surface of the drum is charged to a uniform electrical potential and is selectively exposed to light in a pattern corresponding to an original image. The areas of the drum surface exposed to light are discharged and form a latent electrostatic image on the drum surface. Developer material, such as toner having an electrical charge, is attracted to the drum surface and is used for forming the toned image.
The toner is typically contained in structure such as a cartridge adjacent to the photoconductive drum for supplying the image forming material to a developer roller and to the photoconductive drum for forming a toned image on discharged portions of the photoconductive drum. A recording sheet, such as a blank sheet of paper, is then brought adjacent to the discharged photoconductive drum surface and the image forming material (toner) thereon is transferred to the recording sheet. The image forming material is then fuse the toner to the sheet using pressure and or heat. The toner is typically transferred to the developer roller from a working reservoir within the cartridge. A toner transfer mechanism transfers amounts of toner from a storage reservoir to the working reservoir when the system calls for additional toner.
Additional background information on the structure and operation of image forming devices and toner container structures and toner supply mechanisms disposed within image forming devices generally may be found in to U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,291 to Campbell et al., and to U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2008/0219709, by Hebner et al.
Toner container structures typically include a toner transfer mechanism having a rotatable toner transfer member that is cleared of toner by a rotatable member. In order to prevent interference between the toner transfer mechanism and the rotatable member, a mechanism for timely actuation of the toner transfer member is needed so that toner containing recesses on the toner transfer member are positioned so as to allow the rotatable member to clear the toner from the recesses.